U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack talks with Ludowici Mayor Myrtice Warren about program offered by his department.

LUDOWICI — The Ludowici Police Department received a $44,500 grant Monday, along with an additional $36,500 loan from the USDA to buy three new police cars.The grant/loan package was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a meeting between the secretary and LPD Police Chief Richard Robertson with the rest of his department and Mayor Myrtice Warren on hand.Vilsack met with Robertson and his officers a little after noon in the Long County Courthouse.“I know how hard it is to be a mayor of a small town. I was mayor of a small town in Iowa about 20 years ago called Mount Pleasant,” Vilsack said.“Making these police cars available to you is a good thing for your community, and I’m glad that we can do it,” he added.Vilsack also discussed other issues with Warren, such as water drainage, and offered suggestions on how Ludowici might be able to secure funding for wastewater management.“We appreciate you coming down,” the mayor said. “And we are thankful for the new police cars. A lot of times the smaller communities like ours get overlooked, so its nice when something good like this happens.”Robertson also showed appreciation.“First and foremost I appreciate the grant package that we have received for the three new cars,” the chief said. “We really need them.”According to Robertson, the new cars will be 2009 Dodge Chargers. With the new automobiles, the LPD will now have four new cars. Last month, the department received a grant to buy a new Charger from talk show host Jenny Jones’ Jenny’s Heroes.